Net Neutrality

Net Neutrality has been a burgeoning issue over the last several month, so some internet celebrities (Although I may be using that term loosely) got together and created a music video to help explain why you should be for Net Neutrality. Check it out here.

Then for more information on net neutrality and to find out a bit more about the celebs go to We Are the Web.

http://www.wearetheweb.org/

Don't let the video fool you. Net neutrality is an important issue.

Maryland renaissance Fair

Today, Chewie and I went to the Maryland Renaissance Fair. We had a great time, and the fair was extremely cool. In many ways it is what the 3 Baron's Fair aspires to be.

They have jousting. They were spectacular in their shiny armor, atop their gigantic horses and the actual jousting was pretty neat. However the hand to hand stuff they did was poorly choreographed and executed. I have to give them props for doing it in armor though. It might have helped if they practiced in the armor more often, they seemed to be real unsure when they were off the horses.

Their chess show is very different from ours. They have a slightly smaller board (This is mostly guess since we couldn't get close enough to see accurately measure), and didn't fight on the board like we do. Since the chess show took place in the same area as the jousting they had a large area and would move into a seperate space to fight. We got there late so were only able to see two and a half fights (I don't know how many total there were in the show. They were both performed better than the hadn to hand of the jousters, but the choreographic/staging choices were in many cases poor. They used a number of techniques that work well with specific stagings, but barely work in others. I felt they would have been better served by moving the board to the center of the arena (It was more upstage), and putting the fights (At least the ones we saw, which were the final two) farther upstage. Since the arena was a essentially a very long thrust (3/4 round for those that prefer to think in those terms), the fights would have sold better to a majority of the audience. One thing that seemed to work against them was that they had children as pieces on the board, I am referring to young children here. I assume they chose them from the audience. They put them in not only as pawns, but as power pieces (Rook and Queen were the moves that I saw). While being cute for the parents, it served to interrupt the forward momentum of the show, and the kids didn't generally end up on the right squares. Since the whole finale of the show hinged on neither side having reached a checkmate, it seemed an interesting choice to have the integral moves made by children who didn't really understand what was going on.

We were late to the chess show because we were watching one of Hack & Slash's performances. They were great! I highly recommend checking out the link to find out more about them. The short version is that they are a comedy sword fighting duo. I have long wanted to do a show of this style, and was very excited to see them. We enjoyed the first show so much, that we went back for the second show of the day, the Ale Extravaganza. it was great fun.

Other cool things about the Maryland Renaissance Fair:

- They have a permanent site and so that means they have permanent buildings. They have really done that aspect right, it was wonderful walking around and looking at the construction. We took some pictures which I'll link to once they're up.
- They have a replica of the Globe Stage, and one called the Lyric Stage which seems to have a working pipe organ.
- They had elephant rides, with 2 elephants. Thats twice as many elephants as we've ever had.


Definately worth the trip!

Dames Point Bridge

Dames Point Bridge

I am traveling for work again. I'll be in Jacksonville, Florida until thursday. It is very pretty here. the link above is to a very cool bridge I drove across to get to my hotel.

Workshop Photo

Here is a photo from the Aikido workshop last weekend with Yuki Hara Sensei:




















The workshop was great fun. I only made it to two out of the three classes, I was just too sore to make it to the second one. The first night, we worked on basically one technique (With small variations) for an hour and a half.

Since I haven't gone to class yet this week, I'm going to go tomorrow. I don't usually go on thursdays, but this will be the last week I'm likely to be able to go until September. Between my workshop next week, and traveling for work I won't have time. I'm going to try and go to the Aikido Shobukan Dojo while I'm in Virginia. It is the home dojo of Saotome Sensei, who studied with the founder of Aikido. I'm not likely to get to train with him, since he travels a lot but it will be interesting to traing in a large dojo. Aikido encourages training with different instructors periodically. Besides, it is something to do in the evening while I'm there.

Combat Workshop!

Here are all the details:

 

Frozen Steel Productions and TBA Theatre

PRESENT

 

A Dueling Arts International Event

Sponsored by the Wendy  Williamson Auditorium

Armed In Alaska III

August 14th -18th

Certification August 19th*

Instructor - D.C. Wright
Senior Instructor for Dueling Arts International
Society of American Fight Directors Certified Teacher
Assisted by Frank Delaney and Glen Wall, Associate Instructors for Dueling Arts International

Beginning Stage Combat                         Monday – Friday                 8:30 am—12:00 pm

 

Ages: 16 —Adult (13 and up with instructor's approval) Prerequisites: None

Techniques: Unarmed & Broadsword

Cost with Certification: $160.00 in advance or $180.00 at the door* Cost without Certification: $120.00 in advance or $140.00 at the door

Ideal for the seasoned fighter interested in sharpening their skills as well as the beginner looking to get their start in stage combat. This class covers the essential techniques of hand to hand fighting as well as the fundamental form and method of broadsword use, as well as the history of the sword as it relates to acting the fight.

Intermediate Stage Combat   Monday – Friday 1:30 pm—5:00 pm

Ages: 16 —Adult           

Prerequisites: Instructor Approval

Techniques: Broadsword, Quarterstaff & Swashbuckling Single Sword Cost with Certification: $160.00 in advance or $180.00 at the door Cost without Certification: $120.00 in advance or $140.00 at the door

 

This course is designed for the experienced fighter interested in developing their skills, increasing their range of weapon expertise and/or DAI certifying or re-certifying. Class-work covers in-depth treatment of the quarterstaff and broadsword as well as exposure to the single sword swashbuckler style.

 

Master Classes • $30.00
For ages 16-Adult (or 13 and up with prior experience and instructor's approval)

Laban Technique for the Actor - Wednesday Aug 16^. 7:00pm to 9:00pm

A system created by choreographer, Rudolph Laban, which has been adopted by actors as a movement based training or method. Through Laban the actor becomes aware of their own subtle and obvious physicality in everyday life, forcing the performer to explore a new range of movement. This remarkable style helps actors to recognize and understand where and how thought, emotion and intention live in the body and how it is expressed simultaneously through text and character.

Sticks of Jackie Chan - Friday Aug  18 7:00pm to 9:00pm

Jackie Chan is best known for his action packed movies with their special mix of humor and martial arts. No normal day would be complete for Jackie without defending himself against multiple attackers using only a broomstick, cue stick or some other improvised quarterstaff. This class focuses on employing the staff in the style of the master himself.

 

 

* For an additional $40 teaching and certification fee and four additional hours of training on Saturday the 19th students can be registered with Dueling Arts Intemational as a Certified Actor Combatant. Both workshops will have their DAI tests on Saturday morning beginning at 6:30am until all tests are completed. Beginning students will test certify in Unarmed Techniques and will receive additional training in Broadsword. Intermediate students will take a DAI skills test in Quarter Staff and Broadsword, and will receive additional training in Single Sword.

To register or for further Information call TBA Theatre at 677-7529

so tired.

Yesterday, I realized at about 9ish that my wrist hurt. I assumed that I slept on it wrong. I'll somtimes curl my one arm in tightly to me while I sleep.

 

Today, a little while before lunch I received a weird injury. I was on the phone with Elle, and was holding the cell phone to my ear in the standard fashion (Not craining my neck oddly or anything) when I sneezed. Immediately my shoulder started to hurt. Not just a little twinge, but an intense sort of pain. A few minutes later as I moving my arm around (Working it through its range of motion) I heard a little pop sound. So perhaps I managed to pop my shoulder out a little bit while on the phone. Decidedly one of the least cool injuries I've ever received.

 

 

There is a guest instructor in town for Aikido. Her class was awesome. She worked us hard though, and my knees are very sore. The technique we worked on primarily involved dropping your center as part of the take down, which means a lot of up and down motion. My right knee is still a little weak from my injury last summer (Almost exactly a year). I still had a great time. There are two more classes tomorrow. I'm going to the morning class, and hopefully won't be too sore for the afternoon one.

 

So the tally so far:

 

1 Sore wrist

1 Hurt shoulder

2 sore knees

 

 

Man, I am falling apart.